Quote Originally Posted by eagle43172 View Post
I agree with all that's been said. Americans have a knack of making light of serious things.

Cinco de Mayo is another hybrid holiday that we Americans have taken to extremes. It is celebrated in the United States (but only regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla, May 5, 1862). In the United States it is a celebration of Mexican heritage that most think of as Mexican Independence day (which is actually September 16th.)

If those of us of Scottich heritage were smarter, we'd co-opt Saint Andrew's (Staint Andy's?) day and have parades, fly Scots flags, close schools and drink Scotch and put plastic thistles in our tams. Oh, yeah, wear costume kilts! It only seems fair.
Dave
In Alexandria, Virginia, they have an annual Scottish Walk on the first Saturday in December, which is invariably the first Saturday after St. Andrew's Day (November 30th), so it is a St. Andrew's Day parade in all but name.

Quote Originally Posted by Pleater View Post
And what is with all the green?

St Patrick's colour is blue.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:
Quite true. St. Patrick's colour is blue. The green is thought to originate with the rebellion of 1798 as the colour used to identify the rebels to oneanother. They had green cockades supplied by the French (who they hoped might have supplied arms and perhaps even troops instead), and when these ran out they wore the shamrock, which is undeniably green, and which St. Patrick is said to have used to teach the trinity, because it has three leaves. The only implied reference to St. Patrick's colour being green is, AFAIK, in the song Napper Tandy, aka The Wearing of the Green, in which it says 'his colour can't be seen'.